Beer Blog: Pumpkin Fest 1 at No Idea Tavern
On Wednesday I ventured to No Idea Tavern to take advantage of their Pumpkin Fest to try a variety of pumpkin beers from local and regional breweries. Each of No Idea’s 12 taps was pouring a different brewery’s pumpkin beer. Here are a few of the local options that were on tap.
Dogfish Head “Punkin Ale” – Not a Maryland beer, but relatively local. This is a well-rounded beer with balanced sweetness and spice and a slightly creamy mouth feel. I liked last year’s version better than years previous, but the 2012 brew is even better.
Evolution “Jacques au Lantern” – This beer is actually a saison brewed with pumpkin, making it one of the more unique pumpkin beers available. It is slightly spicy with the influence of the Belgian yeast very noticeable, finishing with a mellow pumpkin flavor.
Flying Dog “The Fear” – This is another unique pumpkin beer. While many pumpkin beers have a distinct sweetness and/or spiciness, this brew has a mild roasty bitterness with a noticeable hop presence that lingers through the finish. There is not much sweetness to speak of and only mild spice.
Heavy Seas “The Great Pumpkin” – This is one of my favorite pumpkin beers this year. It boasts a nice blend of the typical pumpkin spices with swirls of vanilla providing some sweetness and still finishing on the dry side. I’m very excited to try the bourbon barrel version of this beer (“The Great’ER Pumpkin), which is rumored to be making an appearance on draft at Pumpkin Fest 2 at No Idea.
Local brewery Oliver Ales brewed one of my favorite pumpkin beers last year. This year’s version is on the brew schedule for this week. There are still great pumpkin beers to come! A new assortment will be offered at No Idea for Part 2 of Pumpkin Fest, which is scheduled for October 26. And of course, these brews are not difficult to find at your local craft beer bar or bottle shop this time of year.
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About the Author: Scott Berkheimer
I'm a South Baltimore resident that commutes and travels everywhere I can via bicycle. Craft beer used to be a hobby that grew into what might be considered an obsession. When I'm not sampling new beers, you can usually find me either running through the streets of Baltimore training for my next race, in the weight room, or playing with my dogs. Geotechnical engineering pays the bills.
